Funny but I speak from experience about the horses. I lived in MA for 15 years with horses. You can tell your wife that even in winter and a nor'easter they'd rather be out side under the pine trees than cooped up in the barn. I'd have to go out in the afternoon in the middle of the storm to bring them in. They'd have a couple of inches of snow on their backs and other than that, they were quite content.
Never blanketed them btw. They grew thick winter coats. You blanket a horse one time you blanket them for life.